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accountability

...some distinctions may be in order. The first set of distinctions refers to the areas to which the idea of accountability may apply. Normally, accountability is said to apply to positions of public
office. These comprise both political positions, where representatives or people covering other institutional roles deal with public affairs in the name and interest of the citizens, and...

constitutional government

...law of the polity—that effectively controls the exercise of political power. The essence of constitutionalism is the control of power by its distribution among several state organs or
offices in such a way that they are each subjected to reciprocal controls and forced to cooperate in formulating the will of the state. Although constitutional government in this sense flourished in...

elections

Electorates have only a limited power to determine government policies. Most elections do not directly establish public policy but instead confer on a small group of officials the authority to make policy (through laws and other devices) on behalf of the electorate as a whole.

...of a party’s candidates by entering a single mark, though voting for individual candidates is usually possible. Conversely, on the
office-bloc ballot, voters choose individual candidates grouped by
office rather than party, which discourages voting exclusively for members of one party, though some jurisdictions that use the
office-bloc ballot allow voters to cast a straight ticket.

Greek city-states

...The kingship of Homeric tradition vanished, the “kings” who remained became mere dignitaries in the religious and ceremonial life of the city, and new magistracies and other civic
offices were founded. These
offices became the focus of factional struggle among the aristocratic families and later, with the weakening of aristocratic rule, the chief prizes in a contest of power...

political systems

...economic, and political power, linked with certain important social controls; or, alternatively, if they are obliged to exercise limited powers for specified periods and are required to yield
office to rivals who meet certain qualifications. The first is the definition of a modern totalitarian regime, fully and efficiently organized; the second describes the governments of several...